A Very Heated Winter
by Delacruz00
Summary: "Now that we're alone..." Alison whispered in her ear. As they all gather for Hanna's Christmas Ball, things get seriously heated between Alison and Emily when the others aren't around. Perhaps the activities from their previous nights wasn't enough? Emison Two-shot
1. Chapter 1

Pennsylvania in the winter time wasn't as enjoyable as Emily had remembered. Although everyone was used to the freezing weather, switching from a mild climate to one where you could walk outside and have icicles hanging from your nose in a matter of seconds, wasn't appealing to Emily. As Spencer walked in and out the front door, the crisp air would bite at her uncovered skin, leaving her shivering.

"Spence, close the door." Emily yelled, rubbing her arms in search of heat. Aria and Emily were relaxing on a sofa in the far corner of Spencer's barn, laughing at some video Aria was showing her.

"Who on Earth would do something like that though?!" Aria giggled, her stomach couldn't take much more as they continued watching hilarious videos. Minutes passed before Spencer got off the phone as she walked over to the two who were laughing uncontrollably.

"Ali said she'll be late getting here. Something about Rollins complaining about the way she's dressed." Spencer sighed, rolling her eyes.

"But she'll make it here in time, right?" Emily asked almost as soon as the words left Spencer's mouth. Spencer looked at her awkwardly before speaking, "Yeah she'll just be a few minutes late. Believe me, she wouldn't miss a chance to go all out. A stampede of reindeer wouldn't stop her."

Emily sighed in relief, not being able to see Alison would put a damper on her mood.

"How is her marriage going, anyway? I haven't seen them together lately." Aria peaked around Emily to look at Spencer.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Rollins are doing mighty fine." Spencer exaggeratedly put a hand on her chest, speaking in a southern accent.

"I'm sorry, I have to use the bathroom." Emily hurriedly jumped off the sofa and headed for the bathroom. She just couldn't take listening about Alison's "perfect" marriage when Emily had her in her arms just the other night.

Emily barges into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She hopes neither of her friends will come to check on her, however, based on their confused looks while she rushed out, they might. She simply plans to tell whoever finds her that she had to fix her makeup in the mirror.

Glancing up at her reflection, she looked like a mess; she had turned pale sometime during her rush to the bathroom causing slight beads of sweat to appear around her face, and her breathing was ragged. The hold that Alison Rollins had on her is absolutely crazy if it makes her do things like this – just by their friends bringing up her damn marriage.

"Fuck, why did I get myself into this?" She muttered to herself as she pulled her phone out. Flipping through her texts, she sees Hanna's contact, causing her mind to flash back to the day she was invited to this winter ball.

As Emily's phone begins to ring, she sees Hanna's name flash across the screen.

"Hello?" Emily answers while balancing the phone between her shoulder and cheek as she folded up clothes.

"Em! Question! What are you doing next weekend and please say nothing because I need you to come to my Christmas party and support me." Hanna blurted out in one whole sentence.

"Take a breath, Han. And what would I be doing at said party that I've been so formally invited to?" Emily sarcastically questioned, walking to her closet and hanging a few shirts up.

"Well, you'd be showing support for your best friend." Hanna acknowledged as it was obvious.

"Alright." Emily chose not to try to weasel out of it. "Consider me there. What's the occasion?" Emily continued to laugh at Hanna's attempt at being convincing.

"Something a little Christmasy. Oh and, Em, extreme emphasis on the little. Please don't show up dressed as Santa's little helper like last time." Hanna groaned loudly.

"You said you wanted to stand out... Therefore I went as Rudolph." Emily quickly defended her outfit choice.

"Okay, well don't do it again, Emily Fields, or so help me I will shove that antler so far up your–"

"-And I'm hanging up." Emily announced.

"No no no! Wait! I didn't tell you that you have to bring a date." Hanna interrupted.

"Why do I need a date?" Emily whined. "As you can see, I've avoided dating since I came back here." Emily sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. We all know you're 'holy roller Emily' now." Hanna joked.

"I didn't say I put off sex completely… I just put off dating." Emily smirked to herself, knowing exactly who that comment was about.

"Oh my god, Emily Fields! Why am I just finding this out now?" Hanna asked. It was sort of unusual for Emily not to tell her about it; she used to call Hanna about it all the time when she was in L.A. However, the past few times with that one person... they were the greatest Emily's had in a long while and she couldn't exactly tell anybody.

"Technically, you didn't find anything out. You're just implying that I have." Emily replied nonchalantly.

"You should be happy Caleb just texted me to meet him for dinner. Don't think you're off the hook, Em." Hanna scolded.

"I can't be off the hook for something I didn't do. But have a safe trip and I'll talk to you soon." Emily knew, with it being Hanna, this wasn't the end by any means.

"We'll see about that. And don't forget, Em... No Christmas sweaters – just a nice ball gown." Hanna went on.

"Yes, yes, I know. You've already told me a dozen times." Emily groaned.

"I'll always have to remind you a million times–" Hanna paused abruptly, "Hey, Em. About the whole bring a date thing... Why don't you see what Alison's up to? I'm sure she'd go with you." Hanna's voice held a slight teasing tone and it made Emily swallow hard.

"W-why would I ask her? She's married." Emily stuttered, mentally slapping herself.

"Jeez Emily, I'm not telling you to fuck her. Just ask her to be your date." Emily could practically see Hanna rolling her eyes.

"Wow. From just two words, you got all that? Don't you have a dinner to get ready for?" Emily questioned, allowing a little bit of sass to enter her voice.

Hanna laughed, "Funny. Bye, Em." And with that, she hung up.

Emily shook her head. There was no use in getting upset over hearing the girls mention Alison's marriage. She knew what she was getting into beforehand - but still; sometimes it was hard to have to sneak around their friends' backs and Alison's husband's... not to say she really cared about him. Sometimes she just found herself wishing they could be like a normal couple holding hands on the sidewalk, eating ice cream on the park's benches, or even going to dinners in town and just feeling free around each other. On the other hand, sneaking around made her feel sixteen again. The butterflies that formed in her stomach everytime she snuck out of her apartment in the dead of night, just to meet up with Alison, were always worth it. They'll probably always be worth it.

She washed her hands and dried them off before heading back downstairs to at least seem somewhat normal. When she made it back to the other girls, the door bell rang.

"I'll get it." Emily called as she quickly walked over to the front door. Casually adjusting her dress and hair, she opens the door to reveal the most beautiful person she had ever seen in her life. A blonde – her blonde – stood in the doorway with perfectly falling curls and a low-cut, jet black gown with contrasting silver sparkles. Emily's breath immediately escaped her lungs as she stood at the door admiring Alison's beauty.

"Wow, you look amazing." Emily choked out, completely being at a loss of words for the first time ever.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Alison winked.

They continued to eye each other up and down in awe until Spencer walked up to greet Alison.

"Wow. Either you were practically wearing nothing or you just didn't care." Spencer laughed as she hugged Alison.

"Well, let's just say it took a few glasses of scotch before he finally stopped complaining." Alison chuckled. Emily's face fell as she stood there awkwardly, listening to the two talk about Rollins. She slowly walked away from the conversation and returned back to her previous seat near to Aria.

"You okay, Em? You look like you've seen a ghost." Aria asked, placing a hand over Emily's.

"Yeah, the cold weather is just getting to me." Emily forced a smile and nodded.

"Hey, can you come help me with my dress one last time? You know how Hanna is and if it's not 'Hanna approved,' I'll be on the shit list." Spencer stopped to put in air quotes.

"Sure." Aria smiled, setting her phone down and jumping up to head to Spencer's room. Right away, Alison sashayed towards Emily and sat down on the sofa.

"Now that we're alone..." Alison whispered in her ear.

Emily quickly stood up and gave Alison a glare, "Did your husband cause that too?" Alison looked taken aback by her comment.

"Em, that didn't even make sense. Are you mad that I was a few minutes late?"

Emily didn't answer, causing a smirk to tug at the corner of the blonde's mouth.

"He's not the one I'm going to this party with. It's you and only you. I don't know why you can't see that." Alison stood up off the sofa and interlaced their fingers.

"But I'm not the one you're going home to after." Emily said bitterly.

Alison sighed, "We got into an argument tonight."

"About what?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Stuff like me wearing a revealing dress on a date with a girl I used to be somewhat involved with." She confessed. She called it a date, Emily mentally noted.

"He knows about us?" Emily asked astonished.

"No, silly, we came up briefly in our meetings when I was seeing him... professionally." Alison chuckled.

"That was none of his business." Emily tugged Alison closer so their bodies touched, showing her possessiveness towards the blonde.

"And it's still none of his business." Alison kissed her neck.

"Now sit." Alison commanded and Emily did as told. They waited silently for the girls to get finished with Spencer's dress. Emily laid back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. She was thinking about Alison, truth be told. Soon, she felt something creep up her dress and nearly jumped.

"Oops, did I scare you?" Alison raised her eyebrows in question.

"No." Emily attempted to regain her composure. Alison watched her closely for a few more seconds before leaning in and whispering in her ear.

"Maybe when the party's over, my hand won't be lingering down here for long." Her tongue flicked against Emily's ear.

As soon as Emily went to turn towards Alison, they both heard Aria and Spencer coming back down the hall, forcing Alison to retract from Emily who missed the close contact immediately.

"Are we leaving?" Alison asked as she fixed her dress, knowing Spencer wanted to get going.

"If we don't then we'll all recieve a major ass-kicking when she gets back." Spencer replied, causing them all to laugh. The three girls stood up and began getting ready to head out while Emily still sat on the couch, lost in her thoughts.

"Em, are you coming? You don't want to face the wrath of Hanna so soon, right?" Spencer asked, motioning for her to get up.

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something." Emily stammered nervously. She swore she could see Alison with the biggest smirk on her face.

The four girls made their way towards Spencer's car with Spencer sliding into the drivers seat and starting the ignition. Meanwhile, Emily slid into the seat behind her and Alison followed suit.

"Is it too late to call dibs on shotgun?" Aria giggled, climbing into the passenger seat and buckling up.

"Can someone please call Hanna and let her know we're on our way?" Spencer requested.

"I'm on it." Aria happily responded as she dialed Hanna's number.

"So, this party that you asked me to come with you to, what am I going to be doing?" Alison whispered with her voice trailing off as her fingers crept up Emily's inner thigh, causing Emily to squirm in her seat.

"Dance and look pretty." Emily threw out an answer and inhaled sharply.

"Do you want me to?" Alison questioned as she played with the hem of Emily's dress, which rested above her knees. Emily's mind flashed back to a few months ago.

The two girls made their way back to Emily's apartment after a long night of drinking at one of the bars near Hollis.

"Did you see that girl's face when I shut her down? It was to die for!" Alison beamed, trying to balance herself as Emily slightly fumbled with her keys. Emily could remember the blonde getting drunk before when they were younger but, tonight, she was beyond wasted.

Emily laughed until she couldn't stop, "The look she gave you when you walked up and said "Sorry Kim K, but she's taken", and then you threw your drink in her face when she told you off." Emily finally opened the door and motioned for Alison to go first, before slamming the door and not bothering to lock it. Alison spun around looking at the brunette's apartment, eyes widening when she spotted a certain gift.

"You kept it!" She hiccuped as she gently picked up the delicate snow globe she gave to Emily years ago.

"Yeah, well..." Emily felt a rush of embarrassment flood her body as she tried to focus on anything else.

"You were always so sweet to me back then. I don't know what you've ever seen in me." Alison sighed as she placed the globe back down.

"I've seen you the same as I do now." Emily walked up behind her.

"Awe, mermaid..." Alison suddenly turned around and locked their lips together messily. Emily swiftly put her hands under Alison's thighs, edging for her to jump. Then, she picked her up and backed her up against a wall and started kissing from her lips, down to her chest.

"I've been waiting for this all night." She muttered, hands getting lost in Emily's soft hair.

"You and me both." Emily murmured back, shrugging out of her jacket.

"Fuck, Em." Alison moaned, grabbing her hair and dragging her face up to her own, kissing back hard enough to leave a bruise.

"You can do whatever you want to me. Just make sure you don't leave a mark." Alison managed to get out in-between breaths.

"I want you to have something to remember me by." Emily confidently mumbled against her neck, tugging gently on the exposed skin.

"God, you're so perfect. Make it somewhere less noticeable." Alison quickly gave in. Having Emily in control of everything was the hottest thing she'd ever seen. Soon, there was a noise from the upstairs apartment that made both of them pause.

"Did you hear that?" Emily squinted her eyes, looking around the room as she put Alison down.

"I think it came from upstairs." Alison guessed, looking around as well. The noises began coming one after another and it made both of the girls blush even harder than they were before.

"I'm rooting for the guy to last longer than five seconds." Alison laughed as the noises became louder and faster.

"Mmm, I'll say... two seconds, give or take." Emily scratched her chin while placing her bet. The noises abruptly stopped altogether and Emily grinned at Alison.

"Told you." She laughed.

"Get rid of that smirk and take me to your room." Alison began kissing Emily again until she did as she was told.

Truthfully, yes, she wanted Alison all to herself tonight but she couldn't just ditch Hanna's party. Knowing her best friend, she would probably conduct a full-fledged manhunt for her.

Interrupting her thoughts, Alison dropped her phone down between Emily's feet. As she went to reach for it, Alison beat her to the punch. The blonde bent all the way over Emily's legs trying to reach it. When she finally got it after what seemed like forever, she came up slowly, pressing open-mouthed kisses up Emily's leg, all the way to her knee. The brunette shuddered underneath her touch as Alison continued her torture, and she was sure Alison was fully aware she was being merciless.

"I'm sorry. My phone slipped." She whispered an apology.

Emily rolled her eyes and mouthed "of course," causing Alison to sit up straight in her seat, feeling satisfied with herself.

"So how many times did you change before Rollins 'approved', Ali?" Spencer chuckled wryly.

"I didn't have to change. He left with some of his friends before we finished our argument." Alison said nonchalantly with a wave of her hand.

"What? Is he coming back?" Spencer asked astonished.

"Mm, I doubt it. He always makes a big deal out of the smallest things." Alison shrugged while Emily secretly loved every second of the conversation.

"Well, you're more than welcome to crash at my place if you'd like." Spencer offered.

"Thanks, but... I'll probably just rent a room for the night." Alison waved away the offer.

They rode in silence for a while, with Alison's hands roaming Emily's body every chance she had and, honestly, it was killing her. If Spencer and Aria weren't in the vehicle, she would take Alison right then and there.

"Don't worry. You'll get your chance." Alison taunted in Emily's ear, the heat of her breath was absolutely torturous.

Spencer and Aria spent the rest of the ride talking about random things with Alison chiming in a few times. Emily was being strangely quiet throughout the whole ride and it was becoming quite noticeable to the other girls.

"Em, really, are you okay? You've been quiet the whole ride." Aria queried with genuine concern. The question from the tiny brunette went over her head as she thought about Alison's statement from a few minutes ago. When Emily didn't answer, Aria and Spencer shared a confused look but ignored whatever was bothering Emily. They've learned that if she wanted to speak, she would.

Alison's hand slowly crept over to Emily's lap before she slid her hand between her legs, just to see the brunette's reaction. Retracting her hand almost immediately, she could tell Emily was dying. To Emily, the ride was torture. She felt herself aching for her blonde and just wanted to take her up to a random hotel room and –

"We're here guys!" Spencer yelled over the radio to get their attention in the backseat.

Emily snapped back into reality and gently shook her head. Spencer jumped out of the car while Aria was raving about how exciting the party was going to be. As Emily reached for the door's latch, Alison clasped onto Emily's wrist.

"Not yet." She flashed her infamous DiLaurentis smirk. Although she wished she could gain control of the situation and get the party over with, Emily obeyed and waited for the other two to go inside.

"What is it?" Emily inquired.

"Aria was definitely right... You were so quiet tonight." She innocently chuckled as she straddled Emily and pushed her against the seat. Alison began to kiss her neck before biting down gently. She continued this motion before working her way down slowly, leaving trails of burning passion against Emily's skin.

"Ali." Emily moaned a little bit too loud.

"And I thought you were never going to speak until I made you later on." Alison winked, followed by giving Emily a hungry kiss.

"Come back." Emily desperately whined as Alison lifted herself off of her and exited the car.

Alison grinned but didn't say a word. She was enjoying this way too much.

Quickly fixing her dress, Alison extended her hand for Emily to take. "Now come on. If we're late, Hanna will kill us both before the fun even starts."

When Emily finally exited the car, only one thought lingered in her mind: God, I'm so fucked... in more ways than one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: Not a story update**

I'm excited about this story and how much you guys loved it. It's been fun collaborating with 27 on this very interesting adventure. (Also I don't like how the story turned out format wise. My computer was being extra lame and wouldn't do right, so the flashbacks were supposed to be in italics and there were supposed to be paragraphs and whatnot.) Anyway, we have exciting news to say we are continuing this story into a multi chapter! It might be a bit before we actually post the first chapter. We haven't set a date for it, but I'm hoping at least chapter 1 will be up before January. If you guys loved this story, you'll love all the drama that's yet to come ;)

Now to answer you guys!

Lilyfan1415- I assume you're meaning the flashbacks? There's 2 in the first chapter, one with Hanna and Emily talking on the phone, and the other is of Emily taking Alison back to her apartment, which took place months before the Christmas ball.

Kashii126- Yes poor Em haha.

Drea82581- Alison DOES get a taste of her own medicine! Thank you!

KayWeston- I appreciate your words! I couldn't have done it without 27!

Also to everyone else, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as we did writing it. This was a very interesting story to do.


	3. Chapter 3

As the two walked in together, Alison left to go to the restroom to wash up, leaving Emily standing near the entrance alone. Scanning the newly high-end place for a bar, she sighed contently as she watched a guy doing tricks for his customers. Deciding that if she's actually going to make it through this party, she's going to need a few drinks in her system.

"What can I get you?" The guy behind the counter raised his eyebrows as he flipped a glass in the air. Impressive, Emily noted.

"A gin and tonic please." Emily paused while debating on ordering Alison a drink as well, "Um, can I also get a rum and coke with that?" Her favorite.

"Can you handle that much?" The guy joked. He turned to grab the ingredients before starting to throw, flip, and juggle the bottles. Although they were simple drinks that didn't require much mixing, his tricks had Emily mesmerized as he went on.

"Here you go, Miss." He slid the drinks in front of her. She pulled a twenty out of her wallet, thanking him as she handed him the money. She walked away and moved to sit down at the counter.

"So, are you having a great time with your date?" A voice behind her inquired. She turned to see Hanna behind her, smirking with a hand on her hip while sipping on a pink drink.

"O-of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Emily stammered, mentally swearing at herself.

"Oh, no reason. It's just... I don't see her anywhere and since you're single, you could go and have a great time with someone else..." Hanna paused. "I mean, if you want to be entertained by any of the other girls here, that is." Hanna challenged, taking one last sip before swiftly leaving Emily to think on it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She called after Hanna but she was already long gone and lost amongst the party-goers. The brunette turned back around and started sipping on her drink again, resting her head in her hands. She was beyond frustrated in every way possible.

A pair of hands settled on her shoulders and the figure leaned in so Emily could hear them clearly, "You know, I'm sure I could entertain you more than any other girl here."

Whatever noise that was going to come out of her mouth was now lost forever as Alison squeezed her shoulders firmly. Emily was about to say something but they were both interrupted by Alison's phone ringing extremely loud. The blonde took her phone out of her purse and glanced at the caller. Debating on whether or not to answer the call for what felt like a century, she eventually excused herself to the outside patio area for a moment.

Alison looked back over to the bar and watched Emily take a sip of her drink, almost emotionless. Looking back at her phone, she accepted the call.

"Why are you calling me? I told you that I'm at Hanna's party and I would call you when it's over." Alison greeted a little angrily.

"Call me crazy, but I don't think that's how you greet your husband." He countered back in a snarky tone.

"Well you deserve it after how you were acting tonight." Alison shot back. She heard the sound of guys cheering in the background before hearing a bunch of glasses clinking together. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Why? Tell me why, Ali, because I think I had a pretty damn good and reasonable argument." Rollins slightly raised his voice with her.

"No, you didn't. Your argument was highly invalid and you're trying to connect dots that don't need to be connected." She was done with the conversation and, in the end, Alison did what she had originally anticipated.

"Connecting the dots?" He let out a dry chuckle. "Is that what you think marriage is about? A game that you decide to play until you get bored? It's not, Alison. I want to work this out. Can I come home, please?" He pleaded. Alison thought about it for a split second, but she already knew where her heart belonged and she didn't foresee it ever being with Rollins again; her heart belonged to the brown eyed beauty sitting at the bar drinking, presumably, a gin and tonic. Alison felt herself smile until she heard Rollins clear his throat on the other end of the phone, irritating her once again.

"I can't do this right now and clearly it doesn't matter what I say anymore since you come back every time anyway, don't you? Either way, I'm staying at a hotel tonight with one of the girls." Alison put her hand to her temple and massaged it lightly. Arguing with Rollins was quickly becoming a daily thing and it was bringing loads of unnecessary stress into her life.

"Fine, don't worry then. I'll be staying at my cousin's tonight." He exhaled loudly. Alison went silent as she turned around to see Emily and some other brunette that was definitely not one of their friends. Her frustration with Rollins turned into a cold jealousy as she watched the girl inside put her hand on top of Emily's and began getting a little too close for her comfort.

"Alison, are you there?" Rollins asked, annoyance in his voice.

"I-I gotta go." She stammered before pulling out a random excuse. She didn't really care at this point. "A dance is coming up. I'll talk to you later." Alison hurriedly replied so she could end the call. She slipped it back into her purse as she slowly walked back in through the large doors and over to the bar. Something must have held her back from walking over there and laying it to the girl; it's almost like she wanted to know what they were talking about that had Emily so... happy. Her stomach starts to churn as she sits down at the bar and orders a drink. With the combination of being pissed off that Emily would even give this girl the time of day and her own fear of losing her mermaid, Alison's mind began to drift back to the day her and Emily began sneaking around.

 _After the girls had separated and left Rosewood's drama behind, Alison stayed around the small town while watching over her sister. Over the course of a few years and only making small talk with the other girls, Alison had become pretty lonely. Eventually, she decided it wasn't best to keep waiting around for a sign that her mermaid would finally return, so she agreed to start seeing her now husband, Rollins. More time passed before Emily returned to a town closer to Rosewood and, honestly, Alison understood why she might not want to stay in her actual childhood town due to the fact that it put her through her own personal version of hell. Little by little, the other girls returned and communication became less broken amongst them. It was almost like they were teenagers again… well, without all the threats._

 _On a rainy night, Alison had called Emily and asked if she could come over, not wanting to be alone after an argument with her husband. Without hesitation, Emily arrived within minutes wearing sweats and a warm hoodie. She looked adorable as she warily smiled in the doorway, offering Alison a comforting hug. As Emily walked around, Alison could sense how much she loathed seeing pictures of Rollins around the house – or anything that would remind her of the man, for that matter._

 _After hours of random conversations and clear avoidance of the initial reason as to why Emily came over, Alison finally spoke up._

" _I'm sorry that I called so late... I just really didn't want to be alone tonight. He tends to leave when he doesn't get his way." She mumbled the last part._

 _Emily's eyes held sympathy and she gave Alison a sad smile. "I mean… you did interrupt my entertaining night of binge watching every Halloween movie to ever exist." She turned her head away dramatically. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you for that."_

 _Alison raised an eyebrow before letting out a small giggle. "I'm trying to apologize here. I know you don't like hearing about him."_

" _Just because I don't like hearing about him doesn't mean I'm not going to be here for you." She quickly replied._

 _Alison sighed._

 _Minutes passed and the tears began to build in her eyes before she spoke again. Shakily, she let out a sad laugh. "Maybe I'm just hard to love."_

 _In that very moment, Emily looked like someone had kicked a puppy right in front of her eyes. The blonde could tell something snapped in her mind but she wasn't sure what until Emily spoke up._

" _Do you really think that?"_

 _Alison just stared at her, not knowing how to reply. She looked away._

 _Emily stood up. "How dare you think that you're difficult to love." She looked Alison dead in the eyes, like she's been planning on saying this for a while now. Emily took a deep breath in, almost like she was preparing herself. She continued, "I've had such a tough time dealing with so many shitty things in my life these last few years, yet the only thing that seems to come brainlessly is loving you."_

 _Emily's eyes started to gather their own tears until she shook her head, not willing to let them fall. Alison could tell that Emily felt as though she needed to say what she was about to say and she wasn't going to stop the brunette – Alison needed to hear it as much as Emily needed to say it._

 _Once again she started speaking, though her voice sounded a bit more broken. "Even when I want to stop, I can't. Even when it's three o'clock in the fucking morning and I've been crying for hours because I feel like I'm not getting anywhere, I can't."_

 _Alison sat there, taking it all in._

 _Emily locked eyes with her again, bracing herself for what she was about to say. "Even when I feel like you've betrayed me in the worst of ways and, God, even when you don't love me back, I can't stop loving you."_

 _Alison was completely stunned so she sat there silent, not trusting herself to speak or even move._

 _Emily sat back down next to her. Closer than before, Alison noticed._

" _And I'll continue loving you. So don't you dare say that you're hard to love." She finished, as she looked back at the blonde with a softer expression._

 _Alison didn't know how long she had been crying but her cheeks were stained with streaks of tears that had fallen during Emily's confession._

 _Emily must have taken Alison's silence as a form of rejection, so she began to get up again before walking to the door. Before she could reach for the knob, Alison had somehow gotten in between her and the door, causing Emily to sigh in defeat._

 _Before she could ask Alison what she was doing, Alison's lips were on her own as if it was the only way she could say thank you. Although they both knew the whole situation was a mess and it was bound to go downhill from there, Alison woke up the next morning without a trace of regret and could only hope her mermaid felt the same._

Slowly breaking out of her memories, Alison sat at the bar wishing that she had put her ring on the counter immediately after Rollins walked out the first time.

But she didn't.

She didn't because he begged her to try and make it work. He said he'd change and they would attend marriage counseling. As far as anyone else knows, it worked. It worked and they're a happy couple with no secrets.

Except there are secrets, and the biggest secret of all is sitting over there with –

She glances over to see the random girl has gotten much closer to Emily. She bites her cheek, trying to refrain from going full DiLaurentis on this girl… that is until she sees the girl toss her head back in a crappy attempt at flirting with her mermaid.

All resolve lost, she finishes her drink and begins to walk towards where this girl is practically throwing herself at Emily.

Before getting nearly halfway across the room, someone stops her in her tracks.

"Lovely party, am I right?" A voice taunts from behind her.

"It is." Alison agrees. "Congrats on all your sponsors, Han. If you don't mind, I was actually just about to do something so if you would exc – "

"Babe, can you get me another drink? Mine's running a little low." Hanna turned to Caleb, interrupting Alison.

"Yes ma'am." He smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth. Hanna waited until Caleb was out of earshot before turning back to Alison, giving her a semi-playful glare.

"Now, what's your issue? Ever since you got here you've been in a weird mood from what I've seen." Hanna folded her arms. Alison scoffed, not willing to explain to her why she needed to go over and make her presence known to this random girl. Hanna didn't need to know her and Emily's business, but she couldn't help getting sidetracked as the girl with Emily sat down and wrapped an arm around her chair. Alison noticed how the girl was beginning to get awfully handsy. Hanna's eyes followed Alison's not-so-subtle glare before almost bursting into laughter.

"I knew she'd find someone for the night." Hanna smirks before looking back at Alison who was fuming just by watching them.

"Well, she seems to be having a bit of fun." Hanna egged on, adding pressure to the bomb that was about to explode only a few inches away from her in a matter of seconds.

"I don't know why she's wasting her time talking to her. She's definitely not her type." Alison gritted her teeth as she half-listened to Hanna go on and on about this new mystery girl, although the only thing Alison could focus on was how the girl needed to be put in her place. Suddenly, Hanna threw her head back, laughing loudly. She clearly knew what was going on between the two and neither of them were fairly good at hiding it. Alison looks at Hanna before shooting her a hard glare and turning to walk away but the other blonde's voice stops her dead in her tracks, chills shooting up her spine.

"Careful, Alison. Your jealousy is melting the ice sculpture." Hanna sneered remarkably.

Alison scoffed, "I'm not jealous of anybody. The girl is clearly not her type." She continued to defend. Hanna admired how hard Alison was standing her ground right now. As she walks away, she mutters something loud enough for only Alison to hear.

"After all this time, you've turned into a shitty liar." Hanna spun on her heel and began to gingerly stride in Caleb's direction, who was waiting on her with a drink.

A bit before Hanna left Rosewood, she began to show much more bite while talking to Alison – or anyone, come to think of it. Though Alison was proud of how far she's come since high school, who was Hanna to make wild accusations like that? After all, she was Alison DiLaurentis and Alison DiLaurentis doesn't get jealous over anyone; she gets even.

As she angrily walked over to the bar where Emily and the girl were talking, Emily's hands were animatedly moving as she talked about something with the other girl. Unbelievable. That's what Alison thought of it all. She couldn't believe that her mermaid was even taking the time to talk to this girl. She came out of absolutely nowhere.

Alison's staring so intensely at the two that she doesn't realize that Emily has spotted her, waving her over. Hanna was not going to get the best of her tonight. Knowing the bubbly blonde, she'd gloat about it until the next ice age. As she watches the two talk, she notices Emily becoming less and less interested in the conversation. Emily's eyes flicker back and forth between the two girls as she nods every so often, smiling at the blonde when she looks her way. She waves Alison over yet again but the blonde merely brushes it off.

"What can I get you, beautiful?" The bartender inquires with a boyish smirk on his face. Alison blushes for a short minute, debating on giving the guy a piece of her mind or letting him off the hook. She decides it was simply a compliment and generously smiles. There's already one problem at this party – I don't need another, she thinks.

Alison wastes no time ordering her favorite: rum and coke. Out the corner of her eye, she watches Emily staring at her as the other girl tries her best to get Emily's attention.

"Ali!" Emily calls, continuously trying to get the blonde's attention, but she doesn't look back. She has something to prove and giving into pure jealousy wasn't going to help. By the way Emily huffs out loudly, Alison thinks she's given up on her and goes back to chatting with the other girl. Taking sips and ignoring the two was fairly easy at the beginning until the alcohol started to give her some effect that wasn't all that strong… but it was definitely there.

"Come dance with me." The girl gets up and starts edging for Emily to follow her. She smoothly grabs Emily's hands while she slightly blushes, finally accepting the offer.

Alison stands up and marches over to the pair, not being able to take any more of them flirting.

"Is that for me, babe?" Alison has that signature DiLaurentis smirk on her face as she nods towards the drink that the girl was previously drinking from. Emily, too stunned to say anything, stands there, silent as a rock.

"You know it's my favorite." Alison sweetly smiles and settles her hand on Emily's back, rubbing it vigorously.

Emily feels her heart racing every time she looks into Alison's eyes, being able to see right through her.

Alison leaned in to loudly whisper in her ear, "I booked a room for tonight. After the party, I thought we could hang around here for a while. Unless you'd rather not?" She teases before internally smirking when she witnesses the girl trying to avert her eyes somewhere else.

"I should probably get going. I don't want to keep you two." The girl stated, picking up on the thick atmosphere.

Alison, smiling wide and proud, walks back over to her spot at the counter and begins to fix her makeup in her compact mirror. Fixing her hair, she sees Emily coming up behind her in the small mirror.

"Okay, what the hell was that all about?" Emily asks with her arms folded, not bothering to hide her frustration.

"What was what about?" Alison closes her mirror and looks at the brunette innocently.

"Scaring that girl off like you had something to prove." Emily almost yelled.

"She was interested in you and you know that." She responded a bit harshly.

"You had no right doing that, Alison." Emily bit back. "And what was so damn wrong with her that you decided to show her out so fast?" She snarled, exasperated.

"She obviously wanted to take you back to her room." Alison said before quickly trying to cover up her jealousy. "God, Em, did you even see what she was wearing? Who on Earth wears a pink blazer with mom jeans? Her shoes didn't even match. And don't even get me started on her hair." Alison groans while rambling on about any excuse she could find. All of a sudden, Emily began to laugh uncontrollably, leaving Alison clueless as to what she said that was so hilarious.

"In what way was any of that funny?" She asks, clearly taken aback. Emily shakes her head, rises to her feet, and walks away while continuing to laugh.

"Em, what the hell?" Alison quickly stands up and follows her to wherever she's heading. Ignoring Alison's questions and confusion, she's still lightly chuckling to herself as she opens the door to the restroom.

"Are you just going to laugh your ass off for the rest of the night or are you going to tell me what's so damn funny that you nearly spit your drink all over me?" Alison's curiosity didn't faze Emily; not even once. Two other girls were standing near the sinks, looking between Alison and Emily with wide eyes.

Alison finally snapped as she noticed the two girls who had started to exchange confused looks with one another. "Can I help you or are you just going to stand there and watch us like we're performing on Broadway?" She slapped her hand on her wrist and gave off an extremely irritated look as the two rushed out of the restroom before they could set her off even more. If looks could kill, Emily thought as she began washing her hands, silently giggling to herself.

"Okay." The blonde turned her attention back to Emily, who was still relishing in Alison's frustration. "Did that bitch spike your drink or something because you're acting like I have something on my face." She crossed her arms and stared down Emily in the mirror. She says nothing as she finishes up washing her hands, grinning like a crazy person.

"Are you going to continue to ignore me the rest of the night?" Alison threw her hands up in exasperation.

"No." Emily finally speaks and, when she does, it's with a very teasing tone that only frustrates Alison more.

"Then what the hell are you laughing at?" She was at such a loss. Emily could confuse her so much at times but it's like the brunette was actually on something tonight.

Emily grins as she dries her hands off. "Ali, it's okay to be jealous." She grins even harder when she hears Alison scoff extra loud, walking over to the mirror above the sinks.

"I am not jealous!" Alison squeaked as she looked at Emily's reflection in the mirror. "What's there to be jealous of? That random chick who dressed like she was a mother?" She began to ramble again, causing Emily to playfully roll her eyes before walking over and snaking her hands along Alison's back, gliding them around her body to soothe the blonde.

"It's okay to be jealous because, at the end of the day, I'm still yours. You don't have to worry about me checking out some other girl." Emily's hands traveled dangerously close to Alison's chest, causing her to blush.

"I'm not jealous." Alison muttered again.

"Show me that you're not jealous and I might actually believe you." Emily whispered in her ear. The heat of her words melted Alison altogether in that very moment. A strong scent of alcohol was fresh on her breath and it made Alison crave Emily so much, she swears she could take her right there.

"And how would I do that?" Alison was able to let out a shaky breath that she didn't realize she was holding.

"Remember when you said that you could entertain me more than any other girl here?" Emily's mouth moved closer to Alison's skin. "Why don't you show me how you'd do that?" Emily suddenly kissed the back of her neck before trailing her lips over her jaw and neckline, causing Alison to grip the edge of the sink.

"Emily, you know if we go there – in here, I won't be able to stop." Alison whimpered as the brunette tugged on her neck, making her grip the sink harder to keep steady.

"That's the plan." Emily was getting her turn now and Alison had to admit... it was probably the hottest thing she's ever experienced in her life. Suddenly, Emily stops all at once and backs away from Alison. Exiting the restroom feeling as though she finally has the upper hand, she leaves behind a stunned and lost Alison. By the look on the blonde's face, it wasn't something she was expecting.

"Em?" Alison calls out, confused, but she chases after her like there's no tomorrow. Quickly grabbing Emily's hand, she pulls them both into the hotel elevator which she silently prays no one is already in because she might not make it to the room. As Emily leans against the cool elevator wall, Alison decides to put on Emily's favorite lipstick.

"Mmm..." Emily hums as she hungrily takes in Alison's appearance from behind.

"What?" Alison inquires as she reapplies her lipstick.

"Nothing." Emily innocently answers, never taking her eyes off of the blonde's backside.

"I don't think it's nothing." Alison smirks as she puts her lipstick back in her clutch.

She turns back around to catch Emily still staring. Raising an eyebrow, she devilishly smirks and slowly closes the distance between them, lips almost touching but not quite.

Deciding to one-up the brunette before they make it back to the room, she gently presses her lips to Emily's for a tortuously slow second before slightly pulling away again.

"Tonight, I'm going to make you feel things you've never felt before." Alison whispers in a seductive tone, making Emily crumble right there. She looks the blonde up and down, not caring that she's looking at her like she's about to attack her at any moment.

"I'll hold you to that." Emily murmurs in reply. Though she meant it figuratively, Alison couldn't help but let her mind wander off in a whole different direction. Stay in control, Alison, she thinks.

"You'll be holding me to a lot of things, won't you?" She whispered back, feeling satisfied when Emily's eyes turned a shade darker.

Just before Emily could form some type of response, the elevator finally reached their floor after what felt like an eternity. Before the doors could finish drifting open, Alison was tugging on her mermaid's hand and leading her towards the room. Soon enough, the two were in front of the door and while the blonde continued fumbling to find the room key, Emily slowly began to let her hands wander down Alison's body. As soon as the door opened, Alison walked in expecting Emily to follow but when the brunette doesn't, she gets worried. Shit, maybe she's finally starting to regret this.

"Fields, get your ass in here." Alison yells. She reaches out and grabs a still semi-stunned Emily but is surprised when the brunette hikes up her dress and settles her on her hips, making Alison wrap her own legs around her waist. As Emily leads them through the room, she kisses the blonde tenderly, leaving them both wanting more. She lays her against the fresh sheets and lets her fingertips roam Alison's body, her hands raking over the soft skin, burning passion increasing in every touch, move, and breath.

"I need you." Alison whispers huskily in her ear. Emily's breath hitches at the amount of want in her tone. She pulls at Alison's heels, throwing them to the side and moving to discard the dress completely, but Alison stops her.

"Allow me." She responds, thickening the atmosphere once again. The blonde slides out from underneath and flips Emily onto her back.

"B-be my guest." Emily trembles as Alison's hand trails down to her waist, dancing around her mid area. She stands back from Emily and slowly unzips her dress, pulling at it seductively. She wriggles out of it tortuously slow, letting it slide down her hips. She softly smirks when she sees Emily watching her intently with wide eyes, not missing a second. Needing more. Wanting more. Alison mentally thanks every higher power for making her wear a matching set of black, lace bra and panties.

"Stay put." She commands as she walks over to straddle Emily, who's desperately trying to create more friction between the two.

"Okay." She squeaks with a firm nod.

"Where are your manners?" Alison gasps, looking distraught.

"I'm sorry..." Emily whined due to the lack of touch.

When Alison gave her another stern look, she corrected herself. "Yes, ma'am." Emily shudders as Alison traces her finger down her taut stomach.

"Better." Alison smirks. She has the perfect plan in mind for the brunette beneath her. Her hands begin to trail along Emily's sides while teasing the skin with her nails before sliding them underneath her lover's back, slowly unzipping the perfectly fitting dress until she can pull it completely off. Emily's left wearing nothing but a very tiny pair of lace panties. Alison can feel her practically shaking underneath her own body, feeling her squirm with every move she makes.

"Ali, please." Emily begs, kicking her legs slightly while trying to gain any form of friction between their exposed skins.

"Say it." Alison presses.

"You know what I want." Emily groans as she attempts to get closer to the blonde that sat half naked on top of her.

"I don't think I do." Alison settles a hand on Emily's stomach, dancing beneath her chest. Small bumps begin to appear on Emily's skin as a result of the extraordinary feeling from the light touches. She needs more.

"I want you – I need you now. Please." Emily desperately cries out.

"Your wish is my command." Alison whispers before slipping a hand past Emily's panties and, with that, she thinks she could come undone just by the look of pure pleasure that crosses Emily's face.


	4. Lost in Progression Preview Chapter 1

**Lost in Progression Preview**

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"Hey, sorry it took so long," Alison's voice snapped Emily out of her memories. "They were out of your favorite so I just ordered us both the same thing." She sat down across from Emily with a shrug.

"And..." She dragged the word out while placing the food in front of the brunette's face, "...instead of donuts, I thought you might like an apple fritter." Alison smiled widely. It was a genuine smile, Emily thought to herself; something she rarely saw for years before this whole thing began. "I know how much you love apple desserts so I figured you'd like it for a change."

"Thanks, it smells great." Emily smiled, resisting the urge to reach over and kiss her girlfriend on the cheek or hold her hand across the table. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Alison finally spoke again.

"How's work?" She inquired through a bite of the pastry.

Emily's eyes lit up at the question, "I completely forgot to tell you this...but I may be in town more often than I already am." She softly smiled when Alison gave her an impressed look.

"I've gotten two calls from people around here wanting me to help them train in boxing and swimming." Emily loved her job, that's for sure. Many people complain about their professions, but there's just something about helping people get fit that made Emily happy to get out of bed every morning – okay, maybe she wouldn't go _that_ far.

During her college years, she had ended up switching majors after her father passed away. His death had taken an exhausting toll on her, causing her to lose interest in most things, including her much desired swimming career, and leading her to be a personal trainer to help others instead of solely herself. Her mom tried to bring up the conversation regarding her dream to become a big swimmer but time after time, Emily would only explain that she's too drained or she's lost interest. Eventually, her mom finally had given up trying to explain that swimming could possibly help her heartache and accepted the fact that stress can change people's life wishes. And it worked out great in the end – becoming a personal trainer – because Emily feels happier than she had in a while. When she isn't training someone, she'll find herself at the gym, regardless, sweating out whatever had been weighing heavy on her that day. Most of the times, she would push herself to her limits, imagining how proud her dad would be if he was here. _For him_ , she'd think as she learned self-defense amongst other things. Before re-evaluating her choices and getting a start on her career, many times she would try to escape the world with alcohol. It was never terrible, no, but she was fully aware that it would become worse if she didn't escape its hold quickly. When she bought a bottle of whiskey on a sunny Tuesday morning, throwing the cap away and never thinking twice, that's when Emily finally came to her senses and decided to help herself before she needed someone else's. A loved one's death is not something an individual – or even a family – gets over in one night, she told herself as she paced her apartment, throwing away her stashed bottles. She figured that schoolwork would work as her safest outlet although the most difficult task, but she carried on one day at a time. The only two people who knew of this rough patch were Hanna and Alison, and she didn't dare bring it up with her mother or anyone else.

"That's great, Em! When do you start?" Alison happily questioned as she continued nibbling on her food.

"I haven't set up an appointment with either one yet, but I'm hoping to soon."

Alison picked up her drink and smiled. "Does that mean we can see each other more often?" She inquired over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Well, I'll see if I can pencil you into my schedule..." Emily smirked as she watched Alison's smile quickly turn into an unamused expression. The brunette chuckled slightly before replying more seriously.

"I think so." She finished with a smile.

The bell above the door chimed, catching Emily's attention as a tall man walked in. _He looks familiar_ , she thought to herself; she couldn't exactly put a name to the face. The mystery man turned around and locked eyes with Emily, sending shivers down her spine. _Is that –? It couldn't be. No, there's no way it's him. Fuck._

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 **Author's Note:  
Andddd there's that! We want to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed, and favorited A Very Heated Winter, you guys are the absolute best. Without you, we would've just left this story as it is, instead, we've decided to continue this into a multi-chap. Now for all of the ones waiting for the new story to come out, we haven't set an exact date for that yet, BUT, we will have Chapter 1 posted sometime in February (hopefully around the first or second week). So guys, be ready and look for "Lost in Progression", since it won't be continued on this story. Also, if you have any questions, look us up on Tumblr at Delacruz01 and Brightfuture-darkpast hope to hear from you guys!**


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